De Monarchia (A Work of Political the Reading Assignments for This

E N G L H 2 9 5 --- 0 3 4 DDD A N T E ’’’ S “ B“BB EAUTIFUL LLL I E S ” :”:: AAA LLEGORY AAA N D III NTERPRETATION

Fall 2008 • TR 2:00-3:15 • [Room number] • 3 credits

Prerequisites: open to students in the University HonorsHonors Program and others with permission This course satisfies the Honors English requirement and can be taken for MedievalMedieval Studies or Catholic Studies credit.

Dr. John T. Sebastian • [email protected] 324 Bobet Hall • 504.865.2277

Office hours MW 1:30-4:00 p.m. • by appointment

In his Convivio , the great Florentine poet Dante distinguishes between an allegory of the poets and one of the theologians: the former, he claims, hides truth underneath a “beautiful lie.”

In this course, students will examine Dante’s philosophical, linguistic, political, and above all his poetic writings (his beautiful lies) from the perspective of medieval concepts of allegory. In the Middle Ages allegory was a compositional mode (Dante’s allegory of the poets) as well as a hermeneutic, a tool for interpreting a text (the allegory of the theologians).

Beginning with selections from Augustine’s De doctrina Christiana , students will explore how medieval poets and theologians used allegory both to create imaginary worlds and to interpret reality. Other readings will include Dino Compagni’s chronicle of medieval Florence, selections from Virgil’s Aeneid , Italian love poetry, Boccaccio’s writings on poetics, and Dante’s Convivio , De vulgari eloquentia (on language), De monarchia (a work of political philosophy), Vita nuova (a collection of love poems with accompanying commentary), and his masterpiece, the Commedia (in its entirety: Inferno , Purgatorio , and Paradiso ), all in translation, although students with some Italian or Latin will be encouraged to form an occasional reading group in order to study the original languages.

This interdisciplinary course should appeal to students with interests in poetry, history, languages and linguistics, philosophy, theology, cosmology, optics, literary theory, hermeneutics, and art, to name but a few.

* * * C A V E A T L E C T O R * * * The reading assignments for this course are substantive. If you are not willing or able to commit to reading the required material carefully, please consider enrolling in a diffdifferenterent course.

CCC OURSE GGG OALS AND LLL EARNING OOO UTCOMES

The course meets the Common Curriculum’s goals of developing:

• “Effective skills in research, writing, speaking, reading and listening,” through routine written assignments, including a research project, and in-class presentations and discussion; • “An understanding of philosophical and religious traditions,” through careful analysis of Dante’s political and philosophical writings and his mystical and theological vision represented by the Commedia , as well as through discussion of medieval hermeneutics and papal history; • “Knowledge and appreciation of the fine arts and great works of literature,” through an intensive study of several masterworks of medieval literature, especially Dante’s Commedia ; • “Comprehension of the great historical, economic, political, social and technological forces that shape societies,” through a consideration of Florentine politics and the struggle between secular and spiritual authorities in the Middle Ages; • “An awareness of the connections among disciplines and of the interrelationships among all things,” by exploring the literary, historical, political, philosophical, theological, and scientific contexts of Dante’s poetry.

RRR EQUIRED MMM ATERIALS

These textbooks will be available through the campus bookstore. Students wishing to purchase their books from another vendor should be sure to purchase these editions and translations only. While students are encouraged toto browse in other trtranslationsanslations of the Commedia in particular, it is crucially important that everyeveryoneone read from the HollandersHollanders’’’’ edition and translation, which includes invinvinvaluableinv aluable commentary and other apparatusapparatus....

• Saint Augustine, On Christian Teaching , trans. Green (Oxford) • Daniel E. Bornstein (trans.), Dino Compagni’s Chronicle of Florence (Penn) • Dante, Vita nuova , trans. Musa (Oxford) • Dante, Monarchy , trans. Shaw (Cambridge) • Dante, Inferno , trans. Hollander and Hollander (Anchor) • Dante, Purgatorio , trans. Hollander and Hollander (Anchor) • Dante, Paradiso , trans. Hollander and Hollander (Anchor) • Optional: Virgil, The Aeneid , trans. Fagles (Penguin)

Additional readings will be made available as handouts and through Blackboard and library reserve. Students are responsible for completing all readings by the start of class on the day for which they are assigned and should bring all readingsreadings to class, including pprintedrinted copies of articles from Blackboard. Students who regularly fail to complete the readings or bring them to class will be penalized.

CCC OURSE RRR EQUIREMENTS

N.b.: all assignments are required and must be completed in oorderrder for a student to pass the course.

The primary source for information about course assignments, besides this syllabus, is a Blackboard web site, http://loyno.blackboard.com . Students enrolled in the course will be able to access the site by clicking on the link for 08F08F08F-08F ---ENGLENGLENGL----H295H295H295----000034343434:: DANTE’S BEAUTIFUL LIESLIES. Materials that supplement scheduled reading assignments will routinely be posted to Blackboard. Students are responsible for checking regularly for, and reviewing, these materials. Students will also discover on Blackboard a variety of tools for consultation during the semester. Blackboard and e-mail are essential to this class; anyone who is not able and/or willing to check both regularly will find succeeding iinn this course extremely challenging.

1. Dante’s World Wiki (20%). Participants in the course will collectively construct an original Blackboard-based wiki on the world of Dante. The framework for the wiki will come from brief (500-word) reports on important figures and concepts from Due- and Trecento literature and the arts, secular and ecclesiastical politics and political theory, religious movements, theology and philosophy, and other areas of interest for Dante studies. These initial topics will be more or less arbitrarily assigned with initial postings due by the beginning of the second week of class. Students will then supplement, comment on, and create links across these postings over the course of the semester based on their readings of course materials and their independent research. In all instances, sources for the information posted will be carefully cited not only for the sake of giving due acknowledgment to others for their work but also so that other readers of the wiki may pursue further the material being discussed. Contributions might include visual material and links to other internet sites as well as written material, including relevant and representative quotations from primary sources. Further instructions will be distributed under separate cover with a bibliography of references for the initial postings. The grade for this assignment is contingent on both the initial report and on the quantity and quality of subsequent improvements to the wiki.

2. Reflection essay (10%). Several weeks into the term, students will prepare a brief (1000-word) essay in which they reflect on the theoretical materials presented at the beginning of the course. Students will consider the assigned readings and in-class lectures and discussions on medieval and more recent theories of literary signification and interpretation and should reflect on their own practices of reading and interpretive theories.

3. Bibliographic project ((22220%).0%). Each student will be assigned a recent work of criticism about Dante’s writings, his milieu, or theories of allegory and interpretation to read, assess, and report on during the term. Each student will discuss his or her book in a not-more-than-10-minute in-class presentation on an assigned day. The oral presentation must be accompanied by a one-page précis summarizing the remarks offered. A 1000- to 1500-word review of the book is also due the day of the presentation. For all pieces of this assignment (oral presentation, précis, and review) students should not think in terms of a book report but rather of assessing and analyzing the project’s arguments and contributions. What is the book’s general thesis? How does the author situate his or her thesis with respect to scholars doing related work? How is the book organized? What are its main arguments? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Is there a discernible methodology, ideology, or bias to the book? What are the book’s contributions to the field of Dante studies and to the work of the course?

4. Research paper (30%). Students will write an essay (10-12 pp.) on a topic of their choosing in consultation with the instructor. Specific guidelines will be distributed at a later date along with topic suggestions. A separate evening meeting of the class will be scheduled for the end of the term at which each student will describe his or her project for the other members of the seminar in no more than five minutes. The instructor will supply a light dinner and refreshments for the occasion.

555.5. Participation (20%). Participation points in this course can be variously earned, enabling students to participate in ways that best suit their individual preferences and that extend the communal enterprise of learning and teaching in unanticipated directions. Each student begins the term with 10 (out of 20) points. Students earn (and lose) participation points in the following ways:

a. Attendance: Students may miss up to 2 classes penalty free. Absences in excess of the first 2 result in a 2-point deduction per absence. In other words, a student with 5 absences (2 “free” + 3 extra) will lose 6 points (3 extra x 2 points) from the participation grade. Students who accumulate more than 8 absences will automatically fail the course without exception; students who miss more than four weeks of class meetings have not attended enough of the course to justify earning three academic credits regardless of performance otherwise. Attendance is taken before class begins promptly at 2:00. Any student not in his or her seat by then is 5

responsible for informing the instructor after class that he or she was, in fact, present. Sleeping in class, the persistent ringing of cell phones, the consumption of food, the carrying on of personal conversations, and other disruptive behaviors will result in a deduction from the participation grade at the instructor’s discretion. Students arriving late to class should enter quietly and seat themselves as near the door as possible in order to avoid disturbing the room. It is the responsibility of an absent student to find out what he or she missed from a classmate and/or the instructor. The instructor will emphatically not summarize an entire class meeting in response to an e-mail; e-mail requests of this nature will mysteriously, inexplicably, and invariably be “misdelivered.” Students are welcome and encouraged, however, to see the instructor during office hours following a missed class. b. Discussion leading: The instructor will solicit one or two volunteers in advance of each class meeting to prepare a question or series of questions about the assigned reading. By 5:00 p.m. on Monday or Wednesday (for Tuesday and Thursday class meetings, respectively), discussion leaders should circulate their question(s) to the rest of the class via e-mail using Blackboard. Students earn 2 points for leading discussion in class, and may do so twice for a total of 4 points. c. InInIn-In ---classclass discussion: Students may earn up to 5 points for contributing to discussion in class. In general, at least half of each class meeting will be given over to back-and- forth conversation between instructor and students and (it is hoped) student and student. In his House of Fame , Chaucer writes that “soun is air y-broke,” that sound, including speech, is nothing more than broken air, so participation ultimately will be judged based on the quality of the contributions, not simply on the number of times any given student breaks wind in class. Those who have had a chance to speak in class should, moreover, respect others who may be waiting patiently to contribute. d. External contributions: Students may earn up to 3 points by identifying and sharing outside resources that further the class’s appreciation of Dante, Duecento and Trecento Italy, allegory, or the Middle Ages in general. Students may bring in articles from newspapers or popular journals of interest; post recent book, film, or music reviews; or suggest web sites to be added to a course webliography on Blackboard. The object is to share relevant materials beyond what is contained in the assigned readings that enhance everyone’s appreciation for the Middle Ages. Students are welcome to suggest other ways of earning points under this heading. e. Lagniappe: The Medieval Studies Program will sponsor several film viewings during the course of the semester. Students who attend a screening, or who see the scheduled film on their own, and who post a brief (250-word) response to a discussion board within a week of the showing will earn 1 point per film. Other opportunities for earning points by attending local lectures or participating in other extra-curricular activities may be announced in class and through Blackboard at the instructor’s discretion.

While it is technically possible to earn more than 20 points (or conversely to run a participation deficit), points earned beyond 20 (or lost beyond 0) will be a factor in 6 calculating the final grade for the course only in borderline cases. Thus a borderline B/B+ grade will be tipped toward the B+ for a student who earns 23 participation points, while a borderline D+/C student with a participation grade of -5 is unlikely to reap any benefit of the doubt. The instructor will periodically update students on their point count during the semester.

In this course the instructor will follow the grading standards established by the Department of English for T122 and T125 and published at http://chn.loyno.edu/english/cc-grading.html in evaluating written work.

The grading scale is as follows:

A = 93-100 C = 73-77 B+ = 88-92 D+ = 68-72 B = 83-87 D = 63-67 C+ = 78-82 F = 0-62

N.b.: ppperfectperfect attendance in the absence of other forms of participation is not sufficient for earning an A for this course.

LLL A T E --- WORK PPP O L I C Y

All work is due on the assigned date. All written assignments are due by the beginning of class on the day for which they are assigned. Late assignments will be penalized a half-grade per day. Extensions must be requested at least one day in advance and are granted at the discretion of the instructor. There will be no opportunity to improve essay grades after the fact, so students should please make use of the WAC lab and office hours before submitting their final versions. Assignments may not be submitted electronically unless a prior arrangement has been made with the instructor and in such cases must be submitted in .doc(x) or .pdf formats only. Absence from class should in no way be construed as tacit approval by the instructor to submit work late.

III NSTRUCTION IN THE EEE VENT OF EEE VACUATION

All students should familiarize themselves with “A Guide to Hurricane Preparedness for Loyola University Students” at http://www.loyno.edu/studentaffairs/hurricane_prep_students.html and the University’s “Hurricane Emergency Plan” at http://www.loyno.edu/studentaffairs/hurricane.emer.plan.html . Should an evacuation necessitate the cancellation of classes, students are expected to consult Blackboard for information about assignments. In the event of an extended closure of the University (more than 72 hours), faculty are expected to resume classes using Blackboard as a primary vehicle for delivering content and assignments. Changes to assignments for this course will be posted 7 to Blackboard immediately following the announcement of a protracted closure; students are responsible for consulting Blackboard for this information. The delivery of courses through Blackboard presumes that students will include textbooks, notes, and other relevant materials among the materials they pack for any evacuation. Students unable to complete assignments for this course because of evacuation should contact the instructor immediately and should be prepared to withdraw from the course if necessary.

AAA FFF E W FFF INAL NNN O T E S

Plagiarism is the act off passing of someone else’s work as one’s own. It can assume a variety of forms and constitutes only one of several kinds of academic dishonesty, none of which will be tolerated in this course and all of which carry with them the possible consequence of a final failing grade. Loyola’s policies about academic dishonesty appear in the Loyola University Bulletin. When in doubt, students should contact the instructor, who would much rather grant extensions than fail students for turning in plagiarized assignments on time.

The instructor respects and upholds all Loyola policies pertaining to the observation of religious holidays; assistance available to the disabled; sexual harassment; and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, or sexual preference. Students should become familiar with these policies and regulations.

The following is the University’s official statement on accommodation for students with disabilities: “A student with a disability that qualifies for accommodations should contact Sarah Mead Smith, Director of Disability Services at 865-2990 (Academic Resource Center, Room 405, Monroe Hall). A student wishing to receive test accommodations (e.g., extended test time) should provide the instructor with an official Accommodation Form from Disability Services in advance of the scheduled test date.”

Specific concerns or questions may be discussed with the instructor at any time.

The instructor reserves the right to alter this syllabussyllabus at any time. Any changes will bbee announced in class and on Blackboard.

The instructor is glad to acknowledge Georgetown University professors Penn Szittya and Emily Francomano, whose courses on the “Age of Dante” and “Medieval Allegory,” respectively, are everywhere at the heart, and in the soul, of this course. 8

S C H E D U L E

BB = reading available on Blackboard

Separating Sign and Signified: Lang uag e after the Fall

Tu 8/26 Introduction to medieval theories of allegory

Th 8/28 Saint Augustine, De doctrina Christiana ( On Christian Teaching ), Books I -III

F 8/29 Last day to add

“Beautiful Lies”: Dante’s Auto -commentaries

Tu 9/2 1. Il convivio (The Banquet) , Book II (BB) 2. Vita nuova (The New Life) , capp. I-XXVII 3. Wiki report due

Th 9/4 1. Poems of Guido Cavalcante (BB) 2. Vita nuova , capp. XXVIII-XLII

F 9/5 Last day to drop

Hellish Hermeneutics: Inferno

Tu 9/9 1. Virgil, Aeneid , Book I 2. The Book of Exodus (in any Bible or at http://www.drbo.org/book/02.htm ) 3. Inferno , cantos 1-2

Th 9/11 1. Virgil, Aeneid , Book VI 2. Inferno , cantos 3-4 3. Romans 5:14 and Hebrews capp. 5, 7, 9, 11 (in any Bible or at http://www.drbo.org/chapter/52005.htm and http://www.drbo.org/book/65.htm ) 4. Erich Auerbach, “Typological Symbolism in Medieval Literature” (BB)

Tu 9/16 1. Dino Compagni, Cronica (Chronicle of Florence) , Book I 2. Inferno , cantos 5-7

Th 9/18 Inferno , cantos 8 -12

Tu 9/23 1. Inferno , cantos 13 -18 2. Reflection essay due

Th 9/25 Infer no, cantos 19 -25

Tu 9/30 Inferno , cantos 26 -30

Th 10/2 No class ––– instructor attending conference

Tu 10/7 Inferno , cantos 31 -34

Political Visions: Purgatorio

Th 10/9 Purgatorio , cantos 1 -4

Tu 10/14 No class ––– Fall Break!

Th 10/16 De monarchia (Monarchy)

F 10/17 Midterm grades due

Tu 10/21 Purgatorio , cantos 5 -9

Th 10/23 Purgatorio , cantos 10 -16

F 10/24 Last day to withdraw

Tu 10/28 1. Dino Compagni, Cronica , Books II -III 2. Purgatorio , cantos 17-20

Th 10/30 Purgatorio , cantos 21 -24

Tu 11/4 Purgatorio , cantos 25 -29

Th 11/6 Purgatorio , cantos 30 -33

Vernacular Sublimity and Divine Ineffability: Paradiso

Tu 11/11 1. Il convivio , Book I II (BB) 2. Paradiso , canto 1 3. Epistola a Cangrande (Letter to Cangrande) (BB) 4. Essay topic due

Th 11/13 Paradiso , cantos 2 -7

Tu 11/18 Paradiso , cantos 8-14

Th 11/20 Paradiso , cantos 15 -22

F 11/21 Essay prospectus due

Tu 11/25 Paradiso , cantos 23 -29

Th 11/27 No class ––– Thanksgiving Break!

Tu 12/2 1. Il convivio , Book I (BB) 2. De vulgari eloquentia (On the Eloquence of the Vernacular) (BB) 3. Giovanni Boccaccio, Genealogia deorum gentilium (Genealogy of the Gentile Gods) , Book XIV (BB)

Th 12/4 1. Paradiso , cantos 30 -33 2. EEEvEvvveeeennnniiiinnnngggg:::: dddidiiinnnnnneeeerrrr aaanannndddd eeesesssssaaaayyyy ppprprrreeeesssseeeennnnttttaaaattttiiiioooonnnnssss (((t(ttteeeennnnttttaaaattttiiiivvvveeee))))

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